Diversidad del grupo parasítica (hymenoptera: apócrita) asociada al cultivo de la piña (Ananas comosus L. Merr) en Usera, estado Lara, Venezuela

Diversity of the group Parasitica (Hymenoptera: Apocrita) associated with pineapple crop in Lara State, Venezuela Given the importance of insects with parasitic habits in biodiversity and ecosystem equilibrium, and that in the semiarid of Lara State pineapple is one of the major crops, the objective of this study was to determine the faunal composition of the Parasitic group of Hymenoptera associated with this crop as compared to the natural ecosystem. The research was conducted during the period January 2010 to December 2012 in the town of Usera, classified as Tropical Dry Forest at the North of Lara State. The sampling environments were a pineapple agroecosystem and the natural ecosystem. In every environment three points of sampling were selected and at each point 20 yellow traps containing a soapy solution were randomly placed. The exposure period of traps per trip was four days and two trips per year (dry and rainy seasons) were performed. The following thirteen families grouped in five superfamilies were found: Ichneumonoidea (Icneumonidae and Braconidae), Evanoidea (Evaniidae) Platygastroidea (Scelionidae), Proctotropoidea (Diapriidae and Monomachidae) and Chalcidoidea (Pteromalidae, Chalcididae, Leucospidae, Encyrtidae, Mymaridae, Eurytomidae and Elasmidae). The results indicated differences (P≤0.05) for both environments and climatic conditions, but within each of them a degree of similarity of about 66 and 70 % remained, respectively. Also, the greatest diversity was found in the natural ecosystem and in the dry season.